A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter 21 summary
Chapter 21 of 45 · Book 2: The Golden Thread · 17 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 21, Lucie Darnay nurtures her family through years of happiness and loss, while unrest in Paris troubles Mr. Lorry and his customers. The Bastille falls to an armed crowd, Defarge searches Alexandre Manette’s former cell, and Madame Defarge joins the killing that turns popular victory into bloody revenge.
What happens
- Lucie raises her daughter, loses a young son, and maintains a loving household where Sydney Carton receives the children’s affection.
- Darnay refuses Stryver’s proposed pupils, while Stryver spreads a false account of Lucie’s supposed pursuit of him.
- In July 1789, Mr. Lorry reports that anxious Paris customers urgently transfer property to England.
- Defarge distributes weapons and fights at the Bastille, while Madame Defarge gathers armed women.
- After the surrender, Defarge searches Manette’s old cell with Jacques Three and a turnkey, then burns its broken furnishings.
- The governor dies under blows, Madame Defarge removes his head, and the crowd parades seven released prisoners and seven severed heads.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The footsteps connect domestic safety with collective violence abroad. Their bloodstained image makes the distance between the two settings feel uncertain.
Quick check
What does Defarge do inside Manette’s former cell?
Cite this page
“A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter 21 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/pages/a-tale-of-two-cities-chapter-21-summary.
Library of Alexandria. (2026). A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter 21 summary. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/a-tale-of-two-cities-chapter-21-summary
“A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter 21 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/a-tale-of-two-cities-chapter-21-summary.
@misc{a_tale_of_two_cities_chapter_21_summary_2026,
title = {A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter 21 summary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/a-tale-of-two-cities-chapter-21-summary}
}
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